How to Make Coffee Dripolator

By James T Wood

Drip-O-lator is a brand name given to manual drip coffee pots that were first produced in the United States in 1921. They found their popularity during the coffee rationing of the Second World War as they use fewer coffee grounds to produce a cup of coffee. The process is simple: hot water is poured over coffee grounds and allowed to drip through the grounds, through a filter, and into a serving vessel.

Making a cup of coffee with a Drip-O-lator is a throwback to an earlier time.

Silex Drip-O-lator

Step 1

Place the coffee filter in the bottom of the water vessel and press it down using the filter spreader so that it fits into the bottom section and conforms to the sides of that section. Note that the Drip-O-lator is comprised of a water vessel that sits on top and into which the water is poured and the bottom serving vessel that collects the brewed coffee. If your Silex Drip-O-lator did not come with a filter spreader you can use a small measuring cup that fits inside the round space at the bottom of the water vessel.

Step 2

Set the water vessel on top of the serving vessel then place one tablespoon of coffee in the filter for each six ounce cup of coffee you want to prepare. Adjust the amount of grounds to increase or decrease the strength of the coffee.

Step 3

Boil water in another container equal to the amount of coffee you wish to make. Take the water off the heat for 30 seconds then pour it into the water vessel until the vessel is full (it may not take all the water at first). Gently stir the grounds but do not disturb the filter. When the water has dripped through, pour the rest of the hot water into the water vessel. Stir and wait for it to drip down.

Step 4

Remove the water vessel and serve the coffee from the serving vessel.

Neapolitan

Step 1

Fill the boiler section (the section with no spout) with water up to the venting hole. Add ground coffee to the middle, filter section. Use finely ground coffee that is loosely packed. Screw the cover on the filter section.

Step 2

Slide the filter section into the boiler section. Then attach the server section upside down on top of the boiler so the serving spout is pointing down. Place the Neapolitan over heat, ensuring that the handles are not directly over the heat source, until steam comes out of the vent hole on the boiler section. Remove from the heat.

Step 3

Hold both of the handles then flip the coffee maker over so the server section is on the bottom. Let it sit for two to three minutes while the water drips down through the coffee. Once it is empty, slowly remove the boiler section and replace it with the included cover.